6/12/2011 03:53:00 pm -
Reported by
Chuck Foster

BBC America have now revealed the winner of their Where's The TARDIS? competition: announced during broadcast of the mid-series finale, A Good Man Goes To War, last night saw the Bull Family from Wisconsin succeed over hundreds of submissions to the competition, with entrants sending in pictures of the TARDIS in strange and exotic places.

Over in the UK, police boxes have featured a number of times in the National Shed of the Year awards held by Cuprinol's We Love Sheds, and this year sees one through to the finals. It was built by design engineer John Williams from Newport, who said:

We had a wendy house in our garden, but when our three kids we're too old for it, we dismantled it. The space left was the right shape for a Tardis. It was either that or a Dalek, and my wife, Fiona, hates Daleks, so she reluctantly agreed. It was probably the better option as we can use it to store garden furniture.

It’s the same size inside unfortunately. I’ve not yet worked out how to make it bigger. I don’t think I’m clever enough to work that out. I think I would be a multi-millionaire if I could do that.

I built it as a tribute to a programme that has inspired me since I was seven and to add an element of quirkiness to my garden. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

His competition includes a Bygones Museum in Scratby, Norfolk by Dad's Army enthusiast Darren Stride, a Diner and "The George and Dragon". The winner will be announced on the 4th July.

Another TARDIS garden shed in the news originated from student Luke Palmer, who built his own as part of a school technology project. The project took some four months to complete and cost around £1000.

Herne Bay in Kent is the subject of a couple of "TARDIS" projects initiated by local prop-maker Jason Onion to honour Anthony Coburn - credited with inventing the Doctor's 'home' - who lived there until his death in 1977.

As widely reported in the press, one aim is to place a police box on the seafront; the other is to install one within the local library to inspire and encourage future writers. Both are currently being considered for planning permission.

Jason added:

I feel that there's a lot going for Herne Bay - there's a lot of rich heritage for this town. I'm donating a full size replica of the 1963 version of the tardis to Children in Need and also to Herne Bay library, so it's all going to be linked up together.

When fans think of Doctor Who, they are going to think of Herne Bay too.

Finally, a success story in the world of preservation. Back in 2009 the media covered the plight of a police box in Somerton, Newport, which whilst a Grade II listed building was in danger of completely collapsing due to "concrete rot". However, a Cadw grant at the beginning of 2010 was made available to restore the box, which can now be seen once again standing in all its glory!